The field of the invention relates generally to celestial navigation system, and more specifically, to a method and system for a multi-spectral celestial navigation system.
Celestial navigation systems provide a non-jamable, non emitting, self-contained navigation solution that is well adapted for use on the surface of the earth as well as airborne and space borne vehicles. At least some known celestial navigation systems use a lens systems coupled to a visual range CCD imager and are subject to a very limiting factor in that they are subject to obscuration by weather phenomenon such as but not limited to clouds, fog, and smoke. Because existing celestial navigation systems are at times intermittent at providing positioning information, such systems are used in tandem with other types of navigation systems such as inertial or dead reckoning systems, GPS positional technology, and ground-based navigation systems (radio aids) to provide navigational information when the celestial navigation can not. Existing inertial solutions are prone to drift over time, GPS solutions are subject to electronic interference, faked signals, and attack on the ground and space-based infrastructure. Ground based navigation (radio aids) are expensive to maintain, prone to large errors compared to existing INS and GPS technology, and are currently being phased out.